Mindfulness Meditation: Benefits and Impacts on Athletes

Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training. Kabat-Zinn, state, mindfulness meditation refers to “ the capacity to be aware of moment by moment experiences (e.g., thoughts, perceptions, affective states and physical sensations) in a nonjudgmental and non reactive manner” ( qtd Kalupahana 286). As one begins to practice these techniques, there is a noticeable change in behavior for the better. Studies have shown that in partaking in mindfulness there are positive cognitive effects on oneself such as, reducing life stress, positive benefits on rehabilitation, and anxiety. These researches all provide consistent and valid evidence supporting the claim that mindfulness does have positive effects on athletes. Mindfulness meditation (in the context of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy) is a

Veterans are especially vulnerable to acquiring PTSD and veterans with chronic PTSD are a growing population. A particular study’s objective was to evaluate the effect of two common components of meditation (mindfulness and slow breathing) on potential mechanistic pathways. Methods A total of 102 combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were randomized to (a) the body scan mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation (MM) may help patients observe and regulate strong emotions that can arise in trauma-focused therapies (Vujanovic, Niles, Pietrefesa, Potter, & Schmertz, 2014) and seem feasible and potentially beneficial for people with PTSD (Kearney, McDermott, Malte, Martinez, & Simpson, 2012; Wahbeh, 2014). Slower breathing tended to happen during MM. People with PTSD tend to have increased heart rates and high blood pressure. You will also see increase hormones preparing the fight or